“I first learned of sand art in college and loved it so much, I taught myself how to sand paint through YouTube videos. My early process was a humble start in the laundry room, where I used farm dirt on a Tupperware lid and a dim, broken light. After 12 years of practicing, I am traveling throughout the US to tell artistic stories because I believe there is power in telling stories. My work requires beach sand, a light box with a glass surface, and my hands. Occasionally, I will use tools such as pencils, combs and folded paper for patterns. Depending on its length, it can take up to a month to choreograph images with the music. Music is the key to my creative process because it queues the art. My work highlights stories of human life, our planet, diverse cultures, faith and difficult topics such as warfare, trauma, and equality. My passion is to encourage positivity and inspiration in the form of narratives. Whether or not my viewers understand the lyrics of the music or the images, they all become a part of the story by listening. I hope to inspire everyone to tell their own stories, because when we share our stories, we can heal together and be strong together. “

Coua Lee is an inspiring, self-taught sand artist from St. Paul, Minnesota. Born and raised in Fresno, California to Hmong refugee parents, she is passionate about telling stories through her sand art. Her work is inspired by the events around her, the people she meets and her imagination. She learns by observing the sunsets, listening to the melody of the wild Minnesota birds, and following the beats of her cultural music. Her creative process is highly spiritual in that she must go through a journey herself to create the stories. As a mental health advocate and spiritual leader, Coua specializes in artistic stories about mental health, humanity, nature, biblical stories, and diverse cultures. Coua’s hope as a sand artist is to inspire everyone to tell their own stories to promote healing, creativity, and self-identity. She often does pro bono work with local organizations, such as Native and Hmong American affiliations, churches, cultural festivals, concerts and local galleries. She is a recipient of the 2014 Next Step Fund with the Mcknight Foundation and winner of the 2020 Hmong American Partnership art contest. She has been a featured guest artist on Fox 9 news and in the Minneapolis Hmong Museum and performed at the Portage County Cultural Festival, where 12,000-15,000 people attend yearly